Steris completes acquisition of UK business

Published: 6-Oct-2004


Steris Corporation has acquired Albert Browne Limited (Browne), a privately-held manufacturer of chemical indicators based in the UK.

This acquisition fits the company's strategic goal of expanding its offering of consumable products that are used with its range of capital equipment for infection control and decontamination. Chemical indicators are single-use consumables that support a healthcare facility's quality assurance program by confirming the conditions required for sterilisation have been achieved within a steriliser. Albert Browne was the first company to create a chemical indicator for the sterilisation of medical instruments in the 1930s, and has maintained a leading position in the UK market through continuous enhancement of their products. Today, Browne sells a complete line of chemical indicators to healthcare facilities in more than 70 countries, supported by strong technical and development capabilities, 73 dedicated employees, and a manufacturing facility in Leicester, UK. Steris acquired all of the outstanding shares of Browne for €42.3m. "Steris is unique in its ability to offer integrated customer solutions by combining capital equipment, consumables and service to clean, disinfect, sterilise, transport and store medical devices," said Les C. Vinney, Steris's president and CEO. "This acquisition supports our desire to strengthen our higher margin consumable offering, broadens our technical knowledge, and adds a channel into the European market. These are key elements of our growth strategy."

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